Sex Offender and Sexual Predator Registration

Florida law is filled with many pitfalls so that even if one has finished their sentence, the sex offender or predator will have to register for the rest of their life. Depending on the crime, the person, will have to register either twice a year, or 4 times a year. Furthermore, the police must be notified of any movement at least 48 hours in advance and 21 days in advance of a permanent move. Sexual predators will hardly ever be eligible to avoid registration. However, if the person completed their probation or prison sentence before October 1998, then they may be eligible to avoid continual registration if they have not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor after that time, then they can get discontinue registration after 10 years. Between that date and July, 2007, a designated sexual predator must report for 20 years if no new crimes were committed. After that date, expect it to be lifetime registration. The best, but also the hardest, way to get off mandatory registration is through the pardon process. However, in 20 years of practice I do not know of any pardons of convicted sexual predators (although they may exist).

If "only" designated as a sex offender, then you have a better chance to one day avoid registration. If your offense happened before 2007 and you completed all requirements of prison and/or probation, then you can get off the mandatory registration after 20 years SO LONG AS you have not been convicted of any other offense after your release from prison or last day of probation. In 2007, the legislature expanded it to 25 years for sex offenders of mandatory registration.

Penalties vary widely for these offenses. Not reporting within 48 hours is usually a second degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Whereas, it may "only" be a third degree felony, punishable by up to 5 years prison, if the person reports a residence close enough to a school, or even not informing the authorities of a change in email address.

As you can see, there are many ways that those convicted of sex offenses can still get in trouble long after they have served their time. It is important to get an established Pinellas and Hillsborough Sex Crime Attorney so that you can avoid some of these pitfalls. Furthermore, I can expose proof problems when registration mistakes or inadvertent are made in order to help defend those accused of Failing to Register. Call my office today for a free consultation.